Take no stress this weekend. Beat office blues from Monday with this list of top tips

We spend almost one third of our adult lives at work. Find out how it can impact you and how to cope.
People who have high work demand and less control over their jobs, are more stressed.(Shutterstock)It’s difficult to not be stressed in today’s day and age. But coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and an uncertain job market, it can take a toll. People in highly stressful jobs who have less control on their work are 22% more likely to have a stroke than those with low stress jobs, new research has found. Those in the service industry, including waitresses and nursing aides, who have high work demand and less control over their jobs, are much more stressed than natural scientists and architects who command more respect and enjoy higher control over their jobs, the researchers pointed out.Here’s what the latest research says about the topic:Each stressful experience was equivalent to about four years of cognitive ageing.1) Stressful experiences like divorce or losing your job can age the brain by years.

Stressful life experiences such as divorce, death of a child or job loss can age the brain by several years. Researchers examined data of 1,320 people who reported stressful experiences over their lifetime and underwent tests in areas such as thinking and memory. Each stressful experience was equivalent to about four years of cognitive ageing.
Cycling to work can reduce stress and improve work performance. (Shutterstock)

2) Cycling to work lowers stress levels in first 45 minutes of work.Not only does it reduce pollution but cycling to office can also help reduce stress and improve your work performance. Researchers Stephane Brutus, Roshan Javadian and Alexandra Panaccio compared how different modes of commuting — cycling, driving a car and taking public transport — affected stress and mood at work. Its results indicate that cycling to work is a good way to have a good day, says Brutus, the lead author.3) On the flip side, a stressful job makes you more efficient.Stressful jobs can make you find ways to work around problems and can actually be energising, claim researchers. A new study finds that stress in office helps you­ concentrate, keeps you alert, improves your efficiency and even hikes up your productivity.
Working from home can lead to sleeping problems and higher stress. (Shutterstock)

4) Working from home may be more stressful, put workers at risk of insomnia.Working from home is no better though than working in the office. Using smartphones, laptops and other technology to work from home may help you do away with rush-hour traffic, but also lead to longer working hours, higher stress and sleeping problems, according to a new UN study in 15 countries, including India.
Working long hours can lead to higher risk of stroke and heart failure. (Shutterstock)

5) Spending a lot of hours in office may increase irregular heart rhythm risk.Working long hours affects your health in many ways. It affects your eyes, and can even lead to cancer . Now, a new research has shown that it may increase the risk of developing an irregular heart rhythm — known as atrial fibrillation — as well as contribute to the development of stroke and heart failure. The findings showed that, compared to people who worked a normal week of between 35-40 hours, those who worked 55 hours or more were approximately 40% more likely to develop atrial fibrillation.